The 1st Reinforcing Draft – E Company

E Company was raised to answer a call for each battalion to send a draft of five Officers and two hundred and fifty men (In other words, a full company) as replacements. This call was initiated by losses incurred by the 1st Division at the second battle of Ypres in April of 1915. Thirty five battalions sent such a draft – a little over eight thousand men. Battalions selected to be part of the 2nd Division that was currently being formed were exempt from this draft. E Company of the 60th Battalion was made up of one Captain, four Lieutenants and 249 Privates. 458571 George Wood, whose real name was George Wood Thompson is listed on the Nominal Roll for the draft but did not go overseas with them, he sailed with the rest of the battalion in November. He is also listed on the sailing list for the battalion with an incorrect Regimental Number 458570 which belonged to Foster Madden.

E Company sailed from Quebec City on August 28, 1915, on board the S.S. Scandinavian, bound for England. The men of E Company, officially known as the 60th Canadian Battalion, 1st Reinforcing Draft, all transferred to the 23rd Canadian Reserve Battalion in England, destined to become reinforcements for units already in France. Only one of the men, 457796 Alfred William Forward and three of the officers, Captain Walter William Ross Creighton, Lt Robert Archibald Brodie and Lt Harry Wilson Walker would see service with the 60th Battalion again.

Twenty four men would be returned to Canada due to medical unfitness, misconduct or other reasons. Eighteen almost immediately and the other six after stays in the hospital.

Out of the two hundred and forty nine men and five officers who sailed for England sixty nine would pay the ultimate price of war and are buried in cemeteries across Britain, France and Belgium.

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My name is Reg Gervais. I am the author of the book , “The Silent Sixtieth- 100 years on”, a detailed history of the 60th Battalion Victoria Rifles of Canada. This website is a tribute to the men who served and hopefully an extention of the book and a valuable resource to those researching the battalion or the men who served. new informaion is being added constantly.